Cowpasture River near Clifton Forge, VA Water Level Today

NWS river forecast

Forecast from the NOAA National Water Prediction Service. Issued a few times a day and only while a forecast is active. Not for navigation.

Last 30 days

About this gauge

USGS gauge 02016000 sits on the Cowpasture River and reads everything draining 461 square miles of the Upper James basin. Its datum sits 1,007 feet above sea level NAVD88. Daily flow has been on record here since 1926, 101 years of it.

Where this gauge sits in the drainage

No gauged site sits above this one on the mainstem, so this is the first published reading on the river. Downstream the next reading comes from James River at Lick Run, VA at 1,371 square miles, so what passes this gauge is about 34% of the water measured there. Water passing here goes on to James River at Buchanan, VA.

Normal flows here

The Cowpasture River runs a median of 261 cfs at this gauge across 101 years of record. March is the fullest month at a median 644 cfs, and September the leanest at 98 cfs. The highest daily mean on record is 33,900 cfs in 1986, and the lowest is 40 cfs in 1932.

Medians from the USGS daily-statistics record, 1926 to 2026. A month at 100% is running at its own long-term median.

Flood stages and record crests

The Cowpasture River reaches flood stage at this gauge at 10 feet. NWS starts watching it at 8 feet. The highest crest on record is 19.1 feet, in November 1985.

Flood categories and crest history from the NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge COWV2. Stages are gage height, not depth. Not for navigation.